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Barnet Get Battered Everywhere They Go
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Bad Friday
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By:
Max Bygraves
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17/04/2022
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This article has been viewed 1582 times.
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It had been nearly five months since my last Barnet game at Wealdstone back in November and despite the dead rubber nature (for us, anyway) of Dagenham away, everything fell into place as the first game I could attend in a while. The sun was out. Bank holiday. Why bloody not?
As I think it’s probably important we all regularly remind ourselves following Barnet, it’s often the people and fun around the games that are the main thing. A few beers in the sun in Borough Market with some old faces pre-match was most pleasant. The ensuing jaunt to deepest, darkest East London via the Jubilee and considerably delayed District line, less so.
Arriving at almost ten past three due to District lane inadequacies, it was pleasing to not yet be behind. This is where we are, at the moment. As an insurance policy, I’d also put £1 on a 5-0 Dagenham win (40/1) in case things went awry. This was soon to look foolish for the opposite reason to what you’d normally expect.
Within 26 minutes, Barnet were 3-0 down. Not much of a way to dress it up other than it was truly dire.
Looking for some solace in the bar under the stand proved no use at this early stage, either. Strangely, a very restricted opening time of only 3:40-4pm despite having the facilities in place. That combined with tickets having to be bought online no later than midday of the game both examples of Dagenham & Redbridge arguably not wanting to maximise income. Odd.
Whilst under the stand drinking some pretty questionable Carling, we heard not one, but two, further roars from the home support. 5-0 by half time. Even for Barnet this season, this was quite some going.
Going back to my earlier point about the football not always being the main thing, this was very evident at half time - but to a surprisingly high degree. No one seemed all that bothered. Even Steve Percy made an amusing quip about Dagenham declaring but unfortunately sending us in to bat for the second half. By no means do I want to see people upset or irate but I thought it was unusual for a team to be 5-0 down at half time and those who were sticking about to not be a little more disturbed by the situation. Is it just fatigue at this point from two seasons of relentless batterings? Everywhere we go, as that bloody awful song quite accurately points out.
The second half did bring about an initial response. Quite an impressive one. Pulling it back to 5-3 set things up for an exciting finale. Had we put away a one on one with a good twenty or so minutes to go, it could have been a very dramatic conclusion. As it was, we didn’t and Dagenham’s introduction of former Barnet man Josh Waker (“booooo!”) led to the pendulum very much swinging back in the home side’s favour.
Two more late goals, including a second for Paul McCallum against his former club, meant things ended with a rather ridiculous 7-3 score line. According to our records, which date back to 1965, this is a first. Also, a first lettering (where they have to spell it on the vidiprinter) since losing 7-0 at Crewe away in 2010. Just when you think we can’t achieve a new disappointment, we surpass ourselves.
At the end of the game, Dean Brennan did his seemingly trademark thing of keeping the team on the pitch, in the centre circle, for what felt like an age. Not sure if this was a delaying tactic for the away fans to leave before they made their way to the tunnel. I’m not sure what’s to be achieved doing a conversation on the pitch that couldn’t be said in the changing room, in any case.
However, he hadn’t factored in that the tunnel was blocking the exit for away fans from the ground so any delaying was pretty futile. Which was quite amusing. But, as at half time, there wasn’t perhaps the dismay one might expect from the travelling contingent on the back of yet another mauling. A few comments thrown the manager’s way but not much of note.
Just 210 Barnet fans made the trip to Victoria Road. On a warm Bank Holiday afternoon, this is a pretty paltry number. But then, why would more go? There were a few short bursts of anti-chairman chanting, but nothing of significance. People have refuted my comments about the general apathy amongst the fan base before but yesterday felt like another prime example. Surely if people feel strongly that change is needed these final few meaningless games are the ideal platform to make voices and statements loud and clear.
But again, a good chunk of what’s left of our support seems to be attending out of zombie-like devotion. It’s admirable but actually quite tough to watch as more of a casual attendee these days, what the regulars are being served up as supposedly acceptable professional fare. The core support’s blind loyalty is something the chairman is extremely lucky to be able to rely on.
It’s understandable that some are now questioning if Dean Brennan the right man for the job. He’s doing quite a considerable blame shifting job in his post-match stuff despite the fact he oversaw most of these signings himself. You can chuck the Kewell factor in there but he was appointed with the focus on recruitment so it does feel there’s only so much he can hide behind in his metaphorical centre circle of excuses.
Brennan certainly improved things from the starting point but it remains to be seen if he’s the right man to take Barnet forward. He’s got good pedigree at a lower level but it’s perhaps questionable that he’s the type of character or has the relevant experience to drag this club to at least the top half of this division. Interestingly, if he hadn’t been able to arrest the initial slide, he’d have arguably been the ideal candidate for a rebuild in the National League South.
There’s no point in any drastic action between now and the end of the season. However, a decision needs to be made as soon as that final whistle blows whether to stick or twist. If the club want to move away from the awful instant (and normally it’s instantly bad) culture created in the last decade or so with all the changes, you’d argue that Brennan should be given the summer and full trust and resource to rebuild. If there’s any doubt, he has to be replaced early by someone where the plan is a long term one.
Lots of obvious shouts for Ben Strevens. I think that would be a much better move for us than him at the present time and feel for his sake, he’s probably best looking for something elsewhere - as much as many of us would welcome him with open arms. Why put himself through working with this chairman in the current scenario?
Anyway, let’s wrap this up. I’ve had worse days out, despite the bonkers scoreline. It’s always nice to catch up with old friends and I’m sure I’ll do the same again before too long, although probably not until next season now. If I was in a position of personal circumstance where I could go more often? It would be very hard to find the motivation or justification to fund this hobby, given the extent of some of these recent defeats. It’s inexcusable for a professional team to be conceding five or more with such regularity as we have this year. What’s left of the club’s reputation continues to take a kicking week after week.
Blimey. It’s all so miserable, isn’t it?
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